Power supply?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Toxic Sweat
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Toxic Sweat

I was sittin' my kitchen listening to streaming-audio and all of a sudden I
heard a click and my computer died; not a slow death, but an absolute
instant-death! Everything connected to the power supply: fans, case lights,
etc., are all dead! Is it safe to assume that the power supply went south?
I suppose not, since when I first put it together, nothing would come on
because of a bad memory-stick. The power supply is an Antec power supply
that came with my Antec case, are these generally good power supplies?
There's no user-replaceable fuse, should I look for this in a replacement,
if it is indeed the power supply? Thoughts?

Thanks in advance!
 
Toxic said:
I was sittin' my kitchen listening to streaming-audio and all of a sudden I
heard a click and my computer died; not a slow death, but an absolute
instant-death! Everything connected to the power supply: fans, case lights,
etc., are all dead! Is it safe to assume that the power supply went south?
Click to expand...

No. Disconnect items one at a time (starting with drives), and check
for PSU operation after each. If the PSU still won't start, test the PSU.

To test an ATX PSU:

First, disconnect everything from the power supply (including MB.) Plug
AC cord into the rear of the PS. IF the PS has its own rocker on/off
switch, turn it ON. There should be +5v on pin 9 of the 20 pin connector
(+5vsb, usually a violet wire.) There should be >0.8v on pin 14 (PS-ON,
usually a green wire.) This is from an internal pull-up to the +5vsb.

Connect PS power leads to 1 or 2 IDE HDs (for a load). Jumper pin 14
(PS-ON) to pin 13 (ground, black wire.) At this point, fan in PS should
start spinning, drives should spin, and + 5/12v, -5/12v, +3.3v, and
+5vsb should be present at 20 pin connector.

Disconnecting pin 14-13 jumper should turn supply back off.

Further, if the PSU starts:

When your system fails to start, what is the voltage on pin 9? If it is
less than 4.75v, either a) the logic on your motherboard is shorting
b) your +5vsb is under powered, or c) your PS is bad. It is
most likely a combination of b) and c).

If your +5vsb is OK, measure pin 14 of the PS/MB connector. If it is <0.8v
(and the +5vsb is OK), the power supply should be on. If pin 14 is <0.8v,
the +5vsb is OK, and the PS is OFF, the PS is bad. If pin 14 is >2.0v, the
power supply is being told to stay OFF by the MB. If depressing the front
panel ON/OFF switch does NOT lower pin 14 to <0.8v (and the +5vsb is OK),
then the problem is NOT the power supply, but rather MB related.
 
Thank you! I will print your reply and do the step by step checks, it
sounds like a hassle, but I suppose there's no other way, unless I just take
it somewhere and say: "fix it" Thanks again!

Ray
 
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